For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Houston’s Global Energy Management Institute (UH-GEMI) will host its Trading and Marketing Conference Jan. 25 at the University Hilton Hotel. UH-GEMI is a part of the Bauer College of Business.

The annual UH-GEMI event brings traders, risk managers, securities analysts, investors, consultants and lawyers together to discuss the changing marketplace. It has developed into one of the leading forums for energy experts to evaluate the current state of the industry.

“Government reports and private analysts have blamed speculation for recent volatility, and they are advocating tighter regulations,” Pirrong said. “Economists, on the other hand, believe that speculation facilitates the transfer of risk from those who are very averse to it to those who are less averse. Additionally, speculation can provide incentives to collect information about fundamentals, leading to more efficient economic decisions.”